Apparatus For Providing An Interlocking Thermoplastic Building Blocks

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for providing 
     an improved building block. The disclosure provides for a block made from recycled or new thermoplastic materials or other blend of materials. The new block design provides for geometric interlocking capabilities from block to block, layer to layer and wall to wall via an Interlocking Post and screws. This Post will not only mechanically interlock the block system but will as well mechanically hold the block in position via a metal screw.

This application, (Ser. No. 16/352,189) claims priority to copendingU.S. provisional application entitled, “Thermoplastic ConstructionBuilding Blocks”, having Application No. 62/642,289, filed Mar. 13,2018, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

SPECIFICATION

The present disclosure is generally related to the construction industryand more specifically the home, garage and small building industry,though the referenced Thermoplastic block may find many other structuraluses. The disclosure is designed to highlight the advantages of theThermoplastic block design versus the existing cement block designs.

The Thermoplastic Building block is designed to be injection moldedutilizing recycled plastic from a waste stream, this may include somepercentage of virgin materials to be utilized as necessary to helpmaintain structural requirements.

The use of Thermoplastic materials provides a substantial benefit ininherent insulating properties versus the common cinder block that hasbeen used in construction for many years.

The advantage of injection molding process allows for the incorporationof “molded in” shapes that allow easier construction and alignment ofthe blocks by unskilled labor. The use of screw attachment device, aswell eliminates the need for mixing mortar, as is the case with cinderblock construction. The skill of “laying” block level and square aswould normally be the case with cinder block construction is virtuallyeliminated with the new Thermoplastic block design and screw attachment.

Lastly, the interlocking capability of the blocks provides a more securewall structure due to not only interlocking block to block but wall towall. If additional structural stability or superior water proofing isrequired, a polymer adhesive may be added to the block perimeter contactareas.

BACKGROUND

A typical cement block construction consists of cement blocks and mortarto chemically and somewhat mechanically attach the blocks together. Thiscement block design has been used for many years with good success butdoes have inherent limitations as far as lack of sufficient mechanicalattachment, inherent insulating capabilities, water resistance and easeof construction. Additionally the block and mortar attachment isinherently sensitive to moderate vibrations and tends to faildrastically under off-center compressive loads. The weak mechanicalattachment of the mortar to block creates a brittle failure mode in thesystem.

The cinder block as well is a poor thermal insulator due to the materialused in construction but as well because of the porous constructionprocess of the block itself and therefore it's hygroscopic properties.Many improvement methods over the years have been identified andutilized to overcome these problems, but with little success basicallydue to the base material and process utilized.

Structural integrity typically has been managed by pouring the core ofthe block cavity with concrete and reinforcing with metal rod within theopen column created in the inherent design. Additional cost is alsocreated in this concrete cavity pouring process to manage the lack ofstructural integrity in the mortar to block design. A better mechanicalattachment would be a good improvement in this design. The initialproblem here is the brittle nature of the cinder block itself, relativeto attaching any mechanical devices.

In order to overcome the thermal insulating problems the industrytypically attaches a Styrofoam board between the cinder block wall andthe earthen barrier. Prior to attaching the foam board the block must bewater proofed, usually with a rolled or sprayed on pitch type materialinclusive of a layer of thick polyurethane film. If any portion of thewall is above ground the wall should only require painting with awater-proofing material. All of the aforementioned methods of remedy addadditional cost to the wall structure.

The cinder block method itself is considered a skilled method ofconstruction as the existing cinder block construction provides for noself aligning features (other than it's rectangular geometry) andtherefore must rely on the skill of the laborer to assure X, Y and Zalignment. This demands rigorous site preparation and great attention tosquareness and level detail during the construction process and mixingand applying of mortar to the construction joint.

In summary, while most of the short comings of the standard cinder blockconstruction can be addressed, all require excessive additional cost inmaterials and man hours. Most of the aforementioned solutions for thecinder block method of construction are considered a necessary remedyand not a solution to the root cause of the problem. Thus aheretofore-unaddressed need exists in the industry to address theaforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for providingan improved building block. The disclosure provides a block made fromrecycled or new thermoplastic materials, or other, that will providesuperior insulating properties and thereby possibly utilize materialsthat would normally be designated to a land fill for disposal or to beburned for energy creation. The disclosed product will create a usefuland greatly beneficial product while eliminating harmful disposalprocesses from the normal waste stream. This waste stream will now beclosed circuit in process, as any required disposal of the disclosedblock will allow said blocks to be re-ground and re-processed into newblocks, thereby providing a closed loop system of disposal.

The new block design also provides for a plurality of openings in theblock design to lighten the block as well as provide for structuralintegrity. These openings can be aligned vertically in the block designso as to provide a column area for material to be poured into orinjected as may be the case to reinforce the wall structure as well asto provide a path or void to further increase insulating capabilities ofthe block and therefore the wall.

These vertical voids may also be utilized to enhance wiringinstallations and HVAV capabilities within the wall structure. This willallow quicker and less costly installations of both wiring and HVACcomponents.

The new block design provides for interlocking capabilities from blockto block, layer to layer and wall to wall via an Interlocking Post andscrews. This Post will not only mechanically interlock the block systembut will as well mechanically hold the block in position via a metalscrew. This screw mechanically attaches the Post to the blocks or othersubstrate beneath it, whether it be wood, concrete, poly block or othervia threads designed into the screw. The Post design provides for ageometric shape similar to wings on each side of the Post to provide aninterlocking mechanism between two blocks and as well a downwardgeometric interference to hold the blocks in position once the screw hasbeen installed. No glue, adhesive or filler of any type is necessary tobuild the wall with this system. Any glue, adhesive or fillers of anytype would only be used as an additional option to make the wall morewater resistant or increase strength, which may or may not be requireddepending on the application. Most importantly, the new Poly Blocksystem has no requirements to mix mortar and no special skills requiredto install the cinder block as is required with the existing cinderblock system.

The present disclosure provides for a much easier and quickerinstallation of the Poly Block wall system due to the geometricalignment features built into the block via the upper spline located inthe top of the block and the reciprocating cavity located into thebottom of the block. The corner blocks as well are manufactured in 90degree angle sections to provide for accurate corner to corner assemblywithout the need for pre-layouts with laser or other surveyingequipment. And additionally, no need to constantly measure the wallstructure for vertical acccuracy due to the spline and cavity geometricfeature maintaining these dimensions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects for the disclosure can be better understood with referenceto the following drawings. The components in the drawings are notnecessarily to scale, greater emphasis being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the present disclosure. As well, in thedrawings like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus for providing an improvedbuilding block system as disclosed herein. This block to be referencedto in the future as a “FULL SIZED BLOCK”.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus for providing an improvedbuilding block system as disclosed herein. This block to be referencedto in the future as a “CORNER BLOCK”.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus for providing an improvedbuilding block system as disclosed herein. This block to be referencedto in the future as a “HALF BLOCK”.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus for providing an improvedbuilding block system as disclosed herein. This block to be referencedto in the future as a “HALF CORNER BLOCK”.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus for providing an improvedbuilding block system as disclosed herein. This block to be referencedto in the future as an “INTERLOCKING POST”.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the “Mechanical Screw” provided toanchor and hold the block sub assemblies and components together. Thiscomponent to be referenced to in the future as an “Attaching Screw”

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the partial assembly of the apparatusfor providing an improved building block system as disclosed herein.This block to be referenced to in the future as “Enlarged ViewInterlocking Section”.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Having summarized the main aspects of the present disclosure, referencecan now be made in detail to the description of the disclosure asillustrated in the drawings. While the disclosure will be describedwithin these drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodimentor embodiments herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover allalternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spiritand scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which is a perspective view of anapparatus for providing an improved building block system. This systemis comprised of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The assemblies andsub-assemblies of these components can be used in any manner compatablewith the geometry of the design. These component blocks share commondesign intents to allow them to be stackable, interlocking, selfaligning and mechanically attachable to each other, not excluding otherobvious design intentions. The rectangular shape should also beinterpreted as capable of having a square, rectangular, or trapezoidalshape as well as others as may be re necessary.

The block design incorporates a female interlocking shape and attachmentdesign 100, at each end of the block to allow a unique interlocking andmechanical holding of block to block attachment. The block are heldtogether via a mechanical screw assembly provided in FIG. 5 of theembodiment that fits uniquely within 100 the female design embodiment.This unique design also allows for superior holding and attachment ofone wall to opposite directional wall, thereby allowing block to blockand layer to layer and wall to wall supporting attachment. In additionto this mechanical screw attachment. The blocks may also be additionallyheld together and further waterproofed with adhesive compatable with thepolymer based materials. The adhesive properly applied to upper andlower perimeter surfaces prior to installation of the block andsubsequent attachment of screws will securely hold the assembly in placewhile allowing the glue to dry. The proper installation of adhesive willmake the wall water resistant as the polymer material itself isinherently resistant to water. Additionally, waterproofing repairs canas well be made from the outside of the wall after the wall is stackedand screwed into place. Best Manufacturing Practices should as well beimplemented for best results.

Reference is now made to the vertical cavities 102 designed into theblock thus allowing the lightening of the block vs. a conventionalconcrete block without sacrificing any structural strength. Thesecavities also provide a path to pour concrete into vertical columnsafter the walls have been stacked. Here again, the design of the screwedtogether block system will provide adequate strength in most cases toallow pouring without additional internal or external “wallforms” beingfabricated, thereby saving considerable time and material. ThesePolyBloks, at approximately half the weight of a concrete block will begreatly appreciated by the industry as half the weight equates toconsiderable savings in shipping costs.

One of the most revolutionary capabilities of the design eliminates theneed for mixing mortar and skilled labor to create a wall structure. Theunique system utilizes a male spline and female corresponding cavitydesign 101, which allows the accurate alignment of the blocks. Thisspline/cavity design as well provides for additional centerline mass aswell as a structurally capable area to attach screws for holding theblocks. The spline/design also plays into the overall design by creatinga barrier for blocking wind and moisture. The design should as wellminimize any extreme failure modes such as splintering/cracking andtotal failure of the wall. The wall structure is designed to performbetter in earthquake situations relative to it's superior failure modecharacteristics and mechanical attachment capabilities. While the designis not limited to the aforementioned polymer material, the ability toinjection mold the recycled or virgin material vs. other materials is acritical advantage in the performance as well as the economics of thePolyBlok design.

In further reference to the design, FIG. 2 depicts all of theaforementioned design characteristics mentioned in reference of FIG. 1.In addition, this right angle geometry of the corner block FIG. 2,provides an accurate 90 degree right angle corner for the wall. Thisfeature also eliminates any measuring or special layout for accuratewall

It should be emphasized that the above described embodiments of thepresent disclosure, particularly the illustrated embodiments, are merelyexamples of possible implementations to help determine a betterunderstanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations andmodifications to these embodiments may be made to this disclosurewithout departing from the spirit and principles of this disclosure.

All such modifications and variations are intended to be included hereinwithin the scope of this disclosure and protected by the followingclaims.

At least the following is claimed: 1) A new apparatus of a construction block FIG. 1, that is designed to utilize recycled plastic material in part or in whole. The geometry of the structural block may be in the form of a rectangular box as depicted in FIG. 1, of or in other shapes such as square cubes, parallelogram cubes or other shapes as required. The apparatus is designed to repurpose what would normally be waste stream plastic material (and other) for use as a natural insulator for an injection molded structural block. The aforementioned other materials could possibly be chemical additives (to make it more fire retardant), fiber additives, such as glass fibers or carbon fibers to make the block stronger and less resistant to polymer creep. Once the recycled material is repurposed into this closed loop system, blocks can be continuously reground into new material and remolded into blocks. It should be mentioned here, as well, that the described embodiments in no way are intended to limit the use of materials, plastic or other, in fact the reverse is true. New design applications will require the use of different geometry, possibly different base materials, both new and used, such as other plastics, steel, wood, man-made fibers, etc. 2) The apparatus of claim 1, further provides openings 102, to be molded into the structural block that will allow the block to be much lighter in weight, while maintaining adequate structural integrity. These molded openings 102, as well provide for an open column when blocks are stagger-stacked, thus providing a vertical column opening for concrete or other reinforcement to be poured or additional insulation to be added. 3) The apparatus of claim 1, further provides for these vertical openings, 102 to serve as new options as paths for electrical wiring, heating and air conditioning systems to be routed, constructed and assembled. As these openings, 102 are molded into each block, the open paths naturally provided by molding eliminate the need for technicians to cutaway what would be existing structural wall fabrication in either wood form or concrete form to create a path for wiring, HVAC or other. This new method creates an obvious major times savings, and therefore dollar savings for these services to be installed. This new method insulates and protects the service components within the wall by enclosing them within the boundaries of the block and said openings, 102 molded into the block. 4) The apparatus of claim 1, further provides for a spline and cavity self alignment system, 101 molded into the structural blocks. A spline and corresponding bottom cavity, FIG. 2, 103 apparatus not only aligns the blocks in construction process but provides a unique positioning and anchoring mechanism for the screw. Furthermore, this spline, 101 design arrangement provides a critical surface to mechanically anchor the block together with the Interlocking Post, FIG. 5 and typical industry metal screws designed for use in plastic materials. This top spline and bottom cavity, 101 and 103 geometry in the block design serve as functional wind and moisture barrier on both the top and bottom surfaces of the blocks. These surfaces, 101 and 103 are molded directly into the structural blocks for strength, ease of assembly and accurate placement of the blocks. 5) The apparatus of claim 1, further provides for a molded in “T” shaped cavity 100, interlocking apparatus to mechanically hold structural blocks together as well as interlock one wall to a connecting perpendicular wall at the wall corners. This “T” shaped cavity, 100 molded into each end (lengthwise) of the block provides for connection of these structural blocks devoid of any special industry skills as is now required for cinder block and mortar construction. Time and labor savings are a direct result of this alignment and attachment system, along with other obvious construction saving techniques that are not available today in cinder block construction. This system is uniquely stronger than conventional cinder block wall construction, is easier to construct and mechanically attaches block together rather than relying heavily on a rather weak chemical attachment and mechanical attachment. 6) The apparatus of claim 6, further provides for an “Interlocking Post”, FIG. 5 that interlocks and holds block to block and wall to wall via the geometry of the molded in cavities, 100 incorporated into individual blocks at each end and the corresponding shape molded into the Interlocking Post. The Interlocking Post, FIG. 5 also fills the vertical cavity left when two blocks are positioned “end to end” for construction, thereby eliminating voids and cracks that would normally allow air and moisture to penetrate through the wall at the joining location. 7) The apparatus of claim 6, further provides for a vertical thru hole and counter-bored shape into the Interlocking Post, 502 “molded in” to access the attachment of a metal screw or other and to attach and anchor the Interlocking Post to the molded in cavity shape of the blocks. This creates a sturdy mechanical attachment at each end of the blocks lengthwise but as well anchors a block layer to the layer below it. 8) The apparatus for claim 6, further provides for the designed continuation of the Interlocking Post spline shape to match the geometry of the splines and cavities, 102 molded into the blocks, This design geometry is intended as well to minimize wind and moisture penetration through the wall. As a final precaution, adhesive caulking can be installed into the block joint assembly, either prior to or after stacking of the blocks. Here again, it should be emphasized that the above described embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly the illustrated embodiments, are merely examples of possible implementations to help determine a better understanding of the principles of the disclosure. 9) The apparatus of claim 6 further provides for wing shaped out-board structures, FIG. 5, 500 molded into the main body of the Interlocking Post, FIG.
 5. These wing shapes, for lack of a better term, allow the post to attach and hold two blocks 100, together in the X and Y positions and in alignment. 10) The apparatus of claim 6, further provides surfaces and geometry to hold two blocks together in the Z position by utilizing the bottom surface of the wing structure of the Interlocking Post. A permanent holding of the Interlocking Post, FIG. 5 in the X,Y,Z position is accomplished by the mechanical attaching screw. 11) The apparatus of claim 6, further provides for a thru hole, 502 in the Interlocking Post, FIG. 5, that is vertically positioned in the center of the block. This thru hole, 502 is counter-bored near the top of the Interlocking Post, FIG. 5 and is located centrally within the post to allow the mechanical screw, FIG. 6 to apply equal force from the bottom of the winged structure, 501 and as well centrally position and hold the blocks via the molded in cavities, 100 via a force from the screw, FIG.
 6. 12) The apparatus of claim 12, further provides for a designed metal screw, FIG. 6 to mechanically attach (via threads in the screw) and hold in position the Interlocking Post, FIG. 5, and thereby hold and position the blocks via their injection molded cavities,
 100. 13) The apparatus of claim 6 further provides for a designed and injection molded barrier structure FIG. 5, in the top of the block designed to restrict any wind, moisture or other contaminants from penetrating the wall structure. This barrier, 503 is designed to be of a common height as adjacent block splines, 101 thereby continuing the interlocking and aligning spline, 101 geometry through the block system. 